Director Confirms Will Smith Will Not Be In Independence Day Sequel

Posted By
Urban News Hour |
June 24, 2013

The next alien invasion will have to happen without Will Smith.

“Independence Day 2,” which was recently set for a July 3, 2015 release date by 20th Century Fox, will not feature the original film’s above the marquee star, director Roland Emmerich confirmed to the Daily News.

“Will Smith can not come back because he’s too expensive, but he’d also be too much of a marquee name,” said Emmerich, while promoting his latest film, “White House Down.” “It would be too much.

“We have like maybe half of the people that you know would know from the first film (in the script) and the other half people who are new,” the German director added.

The filmmakers are hoping the sequel to 1996’s “Independence Day” – which grossed a whopping $817.4 million during an era of cheaper ticket prices and helped launch Smith’s career as an A-lister in Hollywood — will be the first of a two part story, tentatively titled “ID Forever, Part I” and “Part II.”

Screenwriter James Vanderbilt (“The Amazing Spider-Man,” “Zodiac”) is in the midst of polishing the original script by Emmerich and producer Dean Devlin. “We’re not doing a total reboot, we’re doing something that’s totally unusual,” said Emmerich.

The director wouldn’t divulge what would be totally unusual in the plot of the new movie; there was one nugget, however, he didn’t mind divulging.